Gaskins, Others Honored for Transplant Work

JACKSON, Miss. — The Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) served as host for the inaugural Spero Awards presented by Donate Life Mississippi on Thursday, July 10, 2014 at the Old Capitol Inn in downtown Jackson. The awards ceremony recognized hospital partners, medical professionals, corporate partners and donor ambassadors that work tirelessly in conjunction with MORA to promote organ, eye and tissue donation to ultimately save and enhance lives.

A total of 15 Spero Awards presented to individuals and institutions from areas throughout the state. The word Spero (Spā-rō) is Latin for “hope”. The title was chosen to reflect the hope that organ and tissue donation brings to those in need of a lifesaving organ or a life enhancing tissue transplants.

Additionally, 9 medical facilities in the state received Hospital Excellence Awards in recognition of their achievement of national organ donation performance standards by attaining one or more of three set goals.

Spero Award recipients:

• Corporate Partner of the Year-Community Bank
• Red Heart Award-Jackson Driver’s License Headquarters
• Donation Advocate-Steve & Laura Gaskin, Aberdeen — Their son Matthew was killed in a 2008 car accident.
  His organs were donated and have impacted 39 people. His parents have hosted a golf benefit to fund a scholarship in his memory and have become advocates and public speakers on the importance of organ donation.
• Volunteer of the Year-Cynthia Camel, Brandon
• Most Supportive Mortuary Services-Greater Jackson Mortuary Services, Jackson
• Most Supportive Coroner-Derek Turnage, Pearl River County
• Most Supportive Tissue Hospital-Neshoba County General Hospital, Philadelphia
• Nurse Champion-Sheila Shappley, Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg
• Most Supportive Organ & Tissue Hospital-St. Dominic Hospital, Jackson
• Physician Champion-Hartmut Uschmann, UMMC, Jackson
• Best Pre-Donor Management-Singing River Hospital, Pascagoula
• Best Hospital Leadership-Lee Ann Lutkin, UMMC, Jackson
• Most Supportive Hospital Administrator-Ray Humphreys, Anderson Regional Medical Center, Meridian
• Gift of Life Award-University of MS Medical Center
• Award of Distinction-Con Maloney, Jackson
• Hospital Excellence Awards—hospitals that have achieved national organ donation performance standards
• Delta Regional Medical Center, Greenville
• Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg
• North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo
• Oktibbeha County Regional Medical Center, Starkville
• St. Dominic Hospital, Jackson
• Singing River Hospital, Pascagoula
• University of Mississippi Medical Center-Grenada
• University of Mississippi Medical Center-Jackson
• Wesley Medical Center-Hattiesburg

Currently over 1,400 Mississippians and 123,000+ Americans are in need of a lifesaving transplant. A new patient is added to the national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes and an average of 18 people die each day awaiting a lifesaving transplant that never comes. To register as an organ and tissue donor go to www.donatelifems.org.